NEW YORK – A day after posting on social media that he would like the NBA logo to change from the silhouette of Jerry West to that of Kobe Bryant, Brooklyn Nets star Kyrie Irving reaffirmed his stance and said he is fine if he is the leader of the conversation.
“We want to set a standard and a precedent, because that’s excellence,” Irving said Thursday, after the Nets defeated the Orlando Magic 129-92. “Kobe Bryant. Logo. Yes. It has to happen. I don’t care what anyone says.”
In an Instagram post on Wednesday, Irving posted a photo of a modified NBA logo with Bryant changed as the middle figure with the caption: “Gotta Happen, idc all anyone says. BLACK KINGS BUILT THE LIGUE “.
Vanessa Bryant, Kobe Bryant’s widow, shared Irving’s post on her Instagram story with the text “I love this. @KyrieIrving.”
Irving said Thursday night, “I want this to be something in history that changes forever, that our generation was part of that change. And if that means I have to move on and get the conversation go ahead, it’s fantastic. “
In 2017, West told ESPN’s The Jump that while it’s “flattering” to be portrayed as the league’s symbol, “I think if it was the NBA, I’d be embarrassed. I don’t like doing anything to to draw attention to myself. If they wanted to change that, I would like them to do it. In many ways, I would like them to do it. “
Irving said he understands his proposal doesn’t appeal to everyone.
“I know he probably met some people who love him (who love the idea) and some people who don’t love him,” Irving said. “But mine is to pay homage to the example that man has set.”
Since Bryant’s death in a helicopter crash in January 2020, the idea of changing the logo to Bryant’s silhouette has gained momentum. A petition from change.org in support of the idea has garnered 3.2 million signatures since early 2020. NBA logo creator Alan Siegel, current CEO and president of the brand identity consulting firm and Siegelvision communications told Newsweek at the time “It is clear that [Bryant] he was a highly respected figure by players and around the world, and that is something very serious that the League should consider. “
Irving said Thursday that, advocating that the logo look like Bryant, he did not intend to underestimate any of the other players who have had major impacts on the league.
“I think he deserves it,” Irving said. “I think his family deserves it. I think we deserve it to see the greatness personified as Mamba. And anyone who enters the league should know that this is the example that was set.”
ESPN’s Arda Ocal contributed to this report.